Nintendo has sported some of the best games ever made, from the classic NES console, right up to the portability of the Switch, from Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong and Metroid. The Japanese giant has also dominated the gaming industry for decades with genre-defying games that capture the hearts and minds of all who play them. Here we are 40 years later with a speed-running game that takes the best of Nintendo’s originals on the NES, takes out snippets of the gameplay and sees players race against the clock to complete the objective as quickly as possible.
When Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition was first announced, I honestly had no idea who it was for. It seemed like an attempt to translate the e-sports style of gaming into the home console space, and if I’m being honest, this is exactly what it is, and it is a whole lot of fun. My biggest curiosity was the visuals of the game, regrettably, the games have been kept in their original condition. There don’t appear to be any alterations to bring it to a modern audience, which could put some people off, for me as a millennial, I felt immediately at home with a huge wave of nostalgic dopamine hitting me every time I jumped into one of these classic titles.
Choose Your Title
There are over 13 classic NES titles ranging from Zelda II, Balloon Fight, Metroid, Kid Icarus, Kirby’s Adventure and of course, Super Mario Bros 1, 2, 3 and The Lost Levels. There are different styles of missions to do in each title that keep things fresh. The key takeaway here is speed, the whole point of this game is to achieve your objective in each level as quickly as possible. This game has three different modes with one offline and two online modes that will keep you busy.
The offline mode is Speed Run, a large selection of 150 different challenges over the 13 NES titles that you can play over and over as much as you like. This was the best training ground to acclimate to the premise of this game with quick, sharp challenges attempted repeatedly to get the best score. The more you play, the more you unlock.
You race to the flagpole in Mario, clearing out some Octorocks in Zelda, run as fast as you can to the first ladder in Donkey Kong and grab the morph ball in Metroid. It is a great introduction to speed running, and when you move to the online mode, it is a great training ground if you are new to this style of gameplay, and does a great job of gradually increasing the difficulty.
Gotta Go Fast!
The first online mode is the World Championship. This gives you five challenges that switch up every week. The difficulty is divided up into Normal, Hard and Master. These then go onto online leaderboards with rankings. This was my least favourite of the three modes but will be something to check back in with as the game launches and the servers go live.
Another online option is Survival Mode. Here you can choose from Silver or Gold leagues and go through three challenges against other players’ ghosts. You need to attempt to come in first to avoid elimination over the course of three rounds. This mode is the most addictive, begging you to keep replaying to keep getting that better time, the more challenges you get through. Like the World Championship, this will only get better as the game launches and more players upload their times.
The very idea of this game as a collection and challenge is such a fantastic addition to the Switch’s extensive library of games. While there is access to the retro consoles, including the NES through their subscription service, being able to experience classic titles like Super Mario Bros 3 in a unique way adds something new to these ground-breaking vintage games.
If you want to play offline with friends, you can do this locally with the game supporting up to eight additional local players. It can get quite crazy with the screen showcasing everyone’s playthrough. This only adds to the fun and chaos that these erratic missions command.
Final Thoughts
Nintendo World Champions: NES Edition is not only a celebration of the classic console and the incredible genre-defining games that came from that system. By switching it up into an array of challenges that showcase different parts of different levels in both offline and online modes, you can attempt to complete each challenge and then go back and improve your time as you get to know each level better.
It’s a perfect excuse to re-play Super Mario Bros 3 while getting to experience classic titles like Balloon Fight and Ice Climber for the first time. It’s also the perfect addition to your party game rotation, especially if you have NES fanatics as friends like I do.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Eight-player co-op, The best first-party titles from the classic console, Online challenges for multiple playthroughs
Lowlights: No enhancement of graphics for the Switch system.
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Available: Now
Review conducted on Nintendo Switch with a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
